Having an arsenal of small business marketing tips can help you catapult your business to success.
As a business owner, you should be constantly searching for small business marketing tips that can be used in your business. This will ensure that your marketing efforts are always fresh and relevant. We have collected some of the best small business marketing tips that every owner should know.
Appeal to emotions because emotion almost always wins over reason.
In your marketing messages, whether they are print, online, video or other, appeal to the emotions of your audience. If you make your audience feel something, that feeling will certainly win out over reason. It is much easier to evoke sentiments than it is to win an argument.
Invest more in your online marketing that in any other type of marketing.
While there is more to small business marketing than online marketing, it is the most important component today. Increasing numbers of consumers use the Internet to research and make decisions on their purchases. If you do not have a solid online presence, you do not exist for a large portion of your target audience. Therefore, you need to make sure you have a great website; traffic is being sent to it; and you are working the leads you get from your online marketing. Effective online marketing takes time, commitment and consistency.
Maintain a dialogue with your clients.
Find out what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong, as well as what you are not doing at all by having a dialogue with your clients. To do so, establish and maintain Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts that you use regularly; do surveys; blog; visit industry forums; and more. Any time you have an opportunity to communicate with your clients and would-be clients, whether in person or virtually, do so. That is where you will find the most valuable information about what exactly they want and how you can meet their needs better. This is one of the most valuable small business marketing tips you can get.
Focus on existing customers.
Those who have already bought from you are very likely to do so again. Make sure that you have a marketing plan in place to stay in contact with existing customers and entice them to come back. It costs a lot less to retain a client than it does to get a new one.
Use word of mouth promotion.
Word of mouth seems very much like an old-fashioned type of marketing method and one that leaves a lot to chance. But in today’s technological world, that is not the case. Offer incentives for existing customers to refer you to their friends and family. With Twitter or Facebook, it is easy to track who is being referred by whom. Make it worth the while for the referrer.
Work these small business marketing tips into the marketing plan for your business. If you do not have a marketing plan, pick up a copy of my paint-by-numbers “Create Your Money Map” system as it will help you keep track of the marketing efforts you are making and how well they work.
Amy Kinnaird says
Good list, Sydni!
I might add that a good mix of marketing tools is helpful to any business. Don’t neglect all the off-line tools like phone calls, US Mail, great business cards and effective brochures. For many local businesses, these things can be a critical part of their marketing mix.
Thanks for talking about the importance of systems, too!
Amy
Sydni Craig-Hart says
Thanks for the reminder about the “old school” methods Amy! What you mentioned is tried and true and these opportunities should not be ignored.
smallbusinesstoolkit says
You need to use every channel of marketing as much as you can and as cheap as you can.
use viral marketing , referrals , discount cuopons etc
Jennifer Bourn says
ooohh … “Appeal to emotions because emotion almost always wins over reason. ” This is why we buy the junk at the grocery store even though we know we shouldn’t
People make buying decisions based on emotions most of the time and I love that you’ve presented this first. Reason, although it makes sense, doesn’t always come into play!
Jennifer Bourn, Bourn Creative
Steve says
Nice post, I particularly agree that it is important not to forget about existing customers when coming up with a marketing plan.
Sydni Craig-Hart says
Thanks Steve! What else do you think is an essential part of a profit focused marketing plan?